This invention relates generally to the transporting of animals and more particularly to a self propelled vehicle which provides a trailer for horses and other animals along with human living quarters.
Horses, dogs and other animals are often transported over the road to shows and racing events in trailers towed by "camper" type vehicles which provide living accommodations for the owner at the site of the show or race. Although this allows the animal owner to remain near his animals in order to tend to them, considerable expense is incurred because of the need for two separate vehicles, one to provide towing capability and living quarters and the other to provide the animal stalls.
The present invention is directed to a self propelled carrier for horses, dogs and other animals. The carrier could, of course, also be used for carrying other items if desired. In accordance with the invention, a truck cab and a horse trailer are connected to form a unitized structure which is able to transport animals over the road and at the same time provide human living accommodations. The frame of the cab portion of the vehicle is connected with the trailer frame by angle members which are connected with fore and aft frame members of the cab frame and with transverse frame members of the trailer frame. The frame connections are strengthened and reinforced by braces which angle between the frame members of the cab and trailer and are welded in place near the connections between the two frames. The cab body and trailer body are welded together with steel plates. The trailer body is partitioned to provide animal stalls at the rear and human living quarters at the front, with a side door providing access to the living quarters and a rear door providing access to the animal stalls.
It is an important feature of the invention that the carrier vehicle retains the low profile of a horse trailer so that the trailer floor is low to the ground in order to facilitate loading and unloading of animals. Preferably, the height of the floor is no more than about one foot. The floor of the trailer is maintained at a low elevation by making use of front wheel drive propulsion and eliminating the need for drive lines extending to the rear wheels. The manner in which the frames are connected allows the trailer to be maintained at a low elevation while providing the vehicle with sufficient structural strength to handle the considerable loads that are imposed in normal service.